Atlantic Divsion

NBA report Around the league

April 10, 1990|By Tim Povtak of The Sentinel Staff

Miami is trying to become the first of the four expansion teams to finish above an established club in the division standings. The Heat and New Jersey both have 17 victories. . . . The Nets have lost 31 of their past 39 games and are the worst-shooting team (42.7 percent) in the NBA. Their lone bright spot has been center Sam Bowie, who has averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds the past four games. . . . The prognosis on Charles Oakley is not a good one for New York. Oakley, the team's top rebounder, broke his hand last month, and it may not be healing fast enough for him to play in the first round of the playoffs. . . . Charles Barkley, a natural promoter, has been promoting Philadelphia Coach Jim Lynam for coach of the year. The 76ers, who won 46 games last season, already have won 49. . . . Boston is expected to try to obtain guard Drazen Petrovic from Portland in the off-season. Petrovic is averaging just 12 minutes.